Modular central kitchen in Vierzon
- 1,500 place settings per service produced
- Daily deliveries to 17 locations (schools, nursing homes, local government agencies)
- 522 m² of technical facilities organized into 3 separate areas: production, dishwashing, and staff
- 7 city employees in the kitchen; operations are managed in-house by the City of Vierzon
- 12-month turnkey lease
During the renovation and expansion of the central kitchen in Vierzon (18), LocaCuisines deployed a custom-designed temporary modular kitchen solution, ensuring uninterrupted production of 1,500 meals per day delivered throughout the city.
Project Background: Maintaining Production During Renovation Work
The central kitchen in the city of Vierzon was scheduled to undergo a complete structural renovation, including an expansion of its facilities. This project, planned to last 12 consecutive months, required a complete shutdown of the existing production facilities.
Faced with the obligation to maintain public service continuity—providing daily meals to elementary schools, middle schools, nursing homes, and other municipal facilities—the local government turned to LocaCuisines to set up a fully operational temporary modular kitchen capable of handling 100% of its usual production volume without interrupting the delivery chain.
A Challenge for Public Service Continuity
With 1,500 meals per shift to be delivered to 17 locations throughout the municipality (schools, senior living facilities, municipal facilities), any interruption in production was out of the question. The temporary modular kitchen had to replicate the original central kitchen’s capacity exactly.
A fixed 12-month schedule
The 12-month lease term was aligned with the renovation project schedule. The installation and removal of the modules were coordinated with the project manager to avoid any scheduling conflicts or service interruptions.
Technical Description of the Modular System
Footprint and Spatial Organization
The facility covers a total module area of 522 m² with an overall footprint of 547 m². The complex is organized into 29 interconnected technical modules, designed to replicate the functional layout of a permanent professional central kitchen. No on-site dining modules were included in this configuration: all food production is intended for distribution to the 17 delivery locations.
Breakdown of Functional Areas
- Production area: 432 m²: preparation, baking, assembly, packaging
- Dishwashing area: 18 m²: for washing production and service equipment
- Staff area: 72 m²: locker rooms, restrooms, break area
- Total module area: 522 m²
100% electric power supply
The entire facility is powered by electricity, with a connected capacity of 260 kW. This choice ensures complete control over on-site emissions, precise compliance with public procurement requirements, and simplified integration into the municipality’s existing grid.
Key equipment and integrated production facilities
Vario Cooking Center 311: The Heart of Production
The Vario Cooking Center 311 is the centerpiece of the production area. This multifunctional cooking system combines several cooking methods—steaming, low-temperature cooking, frying, roasting, and braising—into a compact, high-performance unit designed for the volume demands of institutional food service. Its ability to handle large volumes with minimal labor directly addresses the challenge of a 7-person kitchen staff serving 1,500 covers per service. The Vario Cooking Center is available for rent at mylocacuisines.fr.
Rapid-cooling chamber with a cart
The cart-style blast chiller cools prepared foods in accordance with current HACCP standards for institutional food service. Essential in a cold-chain system, it ensures safe distribution across all 17 delivery sites by maintaining food safety compliance from the production site through to reheating at the diners’ locations.
Exploitation and Human Organization
Management by the municipal government
The modular kitchen was operated directly by municipal employees of the City of Vierzon. This decision to operate the facility in-house allowed staff who were already trained in the facility’s production procedures and HACCP requirements to quickly take over operations. LocaCuisines supported the commissioning process by providing training on the integrated equipment and offered technical support throughout the duration of the contract.
7 kitchen staff members to serve 1,500 guests
The kitchen operations team consists of 7 people—chefs, kitchen assistants, and production staff. This ratio of approximately 214 covers per staff member is made possible by the modular kitchen’s equipment, which reduces the time required for handling and monitoring during the cooking process.
Type of food service: central kitchen for export
This facility falls under the category of a central kitchen for export: no on-site consumption is planned. All 1,500 meals produced daily are packaged, chilled, and shipped to the city’s 17 delivery locations.
Beneficiaries Served
- Educational institutions: elementary schools, middle schools, and after-school programs
- Nursing homes and senior living facilities
- Other municipal facilities and community sites in the town
Regulatory Compliance and HACCP Standards
The entire design (workflow, zones, equipment, temperatures) complies with the requirements of the European Hygiene Package (Regulations (EC) No. 852/2004 and No. 853/2004) and the Sanitation Control Plan (PMS) required for central kitchens in institutional food service. The forward flow is ensured by the strict separation of clean and contaminated zones within the production module.
Why choose a temporary modular kitchen for renovation projects?
Zero service interruptions
The main benefit of a modular rental kitchen in this type of setting is the absolute continuity of institutional food service: no disruption in meal service for guests, no need to rely on costly outside providers, and no decline in nutritional quality due to a substitute provider.
Rapid deployment and turnkey installation
The 29 technical modules were delivered, installed, and connected according to a tight schedule coordinated with the start of construction. Delivering a fully equipped kitchen—including production areas, cold storage, a dishwashing station, and staff facilities—under a single contract reduces interfaces and the risk of delays.
Control of the solution's overall cost
Compared to outsourcing production or constructing a permanent prefabricated building, renting a modular kitchen offers controlled costs throughout the duration of the project, requires no capital investment, and includes site restoration after dismantling as part of the contract.
Is your kitchen undergoing renovations? Contact us to implement a modular solution that will be up and running within 4 weeks without any disruption to service.
